


blue eyes, blue eyes

by alesford



Series: our family of choice [27]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Background Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught - Freeform, Background Wynonna Earp/Doc Holliday - Freeform, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Past Child Abuse, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 14:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16536740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alesford/pseuds/alesford
Summary: “So. Wanna tell me why your cousin broke Chump Jr.’s nose?”Wynonna wants to know why Belle sucker punched Bradley James in the schnoz, and she asks Alice for the answer.A follow-up ficlet tothere's dirt on our uniforms.





	blue eyes, blue eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anonymous Tumblr Ask](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Anonymous+Tumblr+Ask).



> Hi, friends. This is a very brief follow-up ficlet to [**there's dirt on our uniforms**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16513373) and is a response to this [**anonymous ask on tumblr**](https://awol-newt.tumblr.com/post/179740826834), which requested: _I’d like to see Alice dealing with some kid at school being mean to her and hurting her feelings, and because she’s an Earl-Holliday [ _sic_ ] she punches the kid in the face (as you do) and her being withholding of her reasoning for punching said kid but Wynonna is eventually able to get it out of her and the two share a nice moment._
> 
> Since I had already just written something comparable, I figured a follow-up with an Alice & Wynonna moment might do. Hope you enjoy!

**blue eyes, blue eyes**

_i’m talkin’ ‘bout blue eyes, blue eyes_   
_what’s the matter, matter_   
_blue eyes, blue eyes_   
_what’s the matter matter  
\- ‘blue eyes’ by mika_

 

 

Wynonna maneuvers the old truck into the parking lot in front of the municipal building. “C’mon, jailbirds. Time to frogmarch.”

As they climb out of the cab, Alice holds out a hand to help Belle make the jump onto the asphalt.

“There’ll be no frogmarching,” they hear Waverly say. She’s just in front of the entryway to the building, wearing a PSD jacket that’s two sizes too big. “And by the look of chocolate syrup around your mouth, I’d say there will also be no dessert tonight either.”

Belle quickly wipes at her mouth with the sleeve of her own jacket and hurries forward to her mama’s side.

“Inside, monkey,” Waverly instructs. There’s no anger in her voice and if there’s much disappointment at all, it’s mild and without any threat of violence.

Belle nods her head and slips into the building as her mama holds open the door. She walks straight towards her mom’s office, knowing that’s where she should wait even if Nicole isn’t there.

It still amazes Belle — that getting in trouble doesn’t have to mean raised voices or a red mark across her cheek. That her moms want to listen and want to know why she does and thinks certain things. They trust her to have a reason, and even if that reason doesn’t excuse her actions, it makes Belle feel as if her opinions matter.

 

She isn’t invisible anymore.  


Sometimes she wonders what it’s like to have Wynonna as a mom instead of _the cool aunt._ When she asks Alice later about what happened next, she’ll hear the story about how Wynonna parked the car about a mile out from the homestead. How Alice thought she was about to get told off and grounded for eternity plus infinity. But then Wynonna had asked why.

“So. Wanna tell me why your cousin broke Chump Jr.’s nose?”

Alice bit her lower lip and shook her head. She didn’t want to tell. Didn’t want to get Belle in more trouble or make her mom angry.

Wynonna had nodded and proceeded to wait. Without Belle by her side, Alice’s resolve crumbled quicker because all she really wanted was for her mom to hold her and tell her that she isn’t a bastard child. That she wasn’t given away because she wasn’t wanted by her mom or dad or any of her family.

“I know it’s not true,” she cried as she explained. “I know you and dad want me and love me. I know you sent me away to protect me and Aunt Gus. But… but Bradley called me a bastard and the daughter of a whore and I know those are bad words but Belle… Belle _knows_ what they mean. So Belle punched him and got blood on her shirt and Bradley started crying and rolling around on the ground and— and—”

Alice sniffled, crawling halfway into Wynonna’s lap. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the feeling of her mom holding her close, of her mom combing her fingers through her hair, of the kiss pressed to the top of her head.

“I’m so sorry, baby girl,” her mom had whispered.

It felt like something more than an apology for Bradley James’ words that day. It felt like an apology that was a long time in the making, waiting, waiting, waiting to be given oxygen and life. Breathed through quiet pain that was more her mother’s than Alice’s own.

“I’m sorry you’ve inherited this shit sandwich of a family history. I’m sorry that people are such assholes and I’m sorry that I left Champ Hardy intact to procreate. I’m sorry that you have to carry all the shit that comes with being an Earp, even if you’re a Holliday.”

Alice listened. She listened to her mom apologize for sending her away. Listened to her say _sorry,_ over and over and over again. Heard her mom’s guilt, loud and clear.

  
Alice heard—

and she forgave.  


“I’m an Earp, mom,” she told Wynonna. “I’ll always be an Earp _and_ a Holliday. Aunt Waverly told me that being an Earp sucks sometimes, but it doesn’t have to. Not all the time. Aunt Nic said… she said being an Earp means more than family. We stick together. Right?”

Her mom had nodded and laughed because that seemed better than crying even more. She wiped the tears from her eyes and then Alice’s and nodded again. “That’s right, baby girl,” she murmured. “Earps stick together.”

“Does that mean you’ll tell Aunt Nic and Aunt Waverly not to ground Belle?”

“Sadly, your aunts are all for noble acts of self-sacrifice but they still believe in suffering the consequences.”

Alice wiggled from her mom’s embrace and shifted back into her own seat. “Me and Belle are going to be heroes like you and dad. Like the whole Scooby Gang!”

Wynonna grumbled. “Lamest superhero team name ever.”

“I like it.”

Wynonna had sighed and then let loose a smile. She ruffled Alice’s hair, dark auburn like her own, and met the bright blue eyes that are so much like her father’s. She grinned even wider. “I guess I like it, too, kid.”

 

 


End file.
